Those wishing to cast ballots in the May 21 election need to be registered by the close of business on Monday.

The Macon-Bibb County Board of Elections, the Elaine Lucas Senior Center and Theron Ussery North Macon Park will hold early voting from April 29 until May 17 in the General Primary/Nonpartisan Election. 

Voters will choose partisan candidates to run in the November election and decide local nonpartisan races in Macon-Bibb County, such as mayor, sheriff and county commissioner.

Races with multiple candidates may go into a runoff June 18.

Georgia has set mandatory Saturday advanced voting on May 4 and 11.

Macon-Bibb County will have all three early voting precincts open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on those Saturdays. The election board also decided to hold Sunday voting on Mother’s Day, May 12, from 1-5 p.m.

Poll worker training was already scheduled for May 5, the other possible Sunday for this advanced voting period.

Democrat Tom Ellington originally proposed having all three advanced voting locations open for Sunday voting from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., but did not have enough support from the board.

Elections Supervisor Tom Gillon was concerned about overburdening the staff and recommended only having the Macon Mall office open in the afternoon on Mother’s Day.

“We’re already going to have people not getting a day off,” Gillon said. “So I’d like to reduce that as much as possible.”

Since prior instances of Sunday voting were limited to afternoon hours only, the board decided to continue that practice.

Newly elected board chair Democrat Karen Evans-Daniel said having limited hours in one location would also be more cost-effective. 

“Gives people time to take their mother to church,” she said. 

Evans-Daniel replaces Republican Joel Hazzard.

Under the board’s by-laws, the same political party cannot hold office consecutive years, so leadership turns over each year.

Republican Robert Abbott is the new vice-chair of the board. Abbott had nominated Mike Kaplan, the nonpartisan fifth member of the board, but Kaplan declined the nomination because he was already serving in that position and could not repeat under the by-laws.  

— Civic Journalism Senior Fellow Liz Jarvis Fabian covers Macon-Bibb County government entities and can be reached at 478-301-2976.